The 20th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was inaugurated amidst great expectations, in Lima. In front of national and foreign authorities, Marcin Korolec, President of COP19, which was celebrated last year in Warsaw (Poland), transferred the Presidency of the COP to Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peruvian Minister of Environment, and highlighted the importance of taking on the challenge that is entailed by the necessity to make the crucial decisions that are needed to fight against climate change and its impacts in the world.

The minister of Environment, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, assuming the mantle of President of the COP20, welcomed people and emphasized the need to achieve clear and solid bases for the new global climate Agreement in Lima, which is to be signed in Paris in 2015. “There are very good signals to highlight: the historic announcements of commitments to mitigation made by several of the largest emitting nations; the great public demonstrations and informal initiatives launched during the Summit in New York; the auspicious initial capitalization of the Green Climate Fund; progress made at the Durban Platform; and, of course, the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, presented in November in Copenhagen

In addition, Pulgar-Vidal announced that the 11th of December had been declared as Lima Climate Action Day, to promote the active participation of representatives of the civil society, women and youth groups.

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dedicated some words commending the Peruvian team for its “determined dedication and impressive persistence to prepare this event in this land of great natural beauty”. Similarly, the Executive Secretary mentioned the need to establish climate action lines as indelible as the Nazca lines. “We don’t fully understand the Nazca lines, however we be inspired by them. As a matter of fact, I dare say that the designs hold symbolic meaning for us here at the COP20,” she added.